Crystal Tears
by BubblyMe-15
Summary: Serah was on a desperate search for Lightning; her sister, her savior. But at every turn, there'd be another dead end. During her travels with Noel, they come to a time where not only Lightning was living, but so was Serah. This was her chance, a chance to change their future; to make things right. (This takes place during the events of 13-2, a "what if" kinda thing.)
1. Destiny's Way

Serah looked around in the Historia Crux as her and Noel drifted lamely through it. It was a weird sensation when crossing through the time gates but she kept the feeling to herself, silently hoping Noel felt it as well.

Serah peeked over at Noel, his eyes also looking around. His brown locks were flying around his head as he shifted it from time to time, a slight smile on his face. Serah smiled at him before looking in front of her. Maybe this time, they'd find Lightning.

Maker, she hoped so. So many times had they come out of that portal and Serah would instantly be in dissapointment. They hadn't even been remotely _close_ to Valhalla and, secretly, she was getting anxious. She wanted everything right again, to have Lightning by her side and Snow on the other. To finally have their wedding. To correct the timeline and help Noel.

Noel noticed Serah's distraught state and cocked his head to the side, "Serah? You okay?"

Serah whipped her head up at his voice before blinking and smiling. She nodded, "I'm fine."

Noel raised his eyebrows, clearly not impressed with her answer, "You sure?"

Serah averted her gaze from his. She didn't want to worry him. She wanted to be strong, to fend for herself, like her sister and Snow.

"I just hope we find Lightning this time. . ."

Noel smiled and relaxed his body, leaning back against the time lapse as he answered, "We'll find her soon. But we can never tell where or when we'll end up. You never know. Just going with it is all we can do for now, and fix the timeline."

His gaze was fixed on her again and Serah looked up at him, nodding lightly.

"I think we're here, kupo!" Mog chimed in, settling his small white body by Serah. Serah's smile returned as she prepared herself to land, on her feet this time. Noel got ready himself, never missing a beat as they dissipated out of the time gate, settling onto the ground.

Serah instantly walked a few steps ahead, looking around. To say where they landed was big was an understatement. The terrain stretched for miles, seemingly never ending. Mountains and hills poked the blue sky, the clouds gracing the sea of blue endlessly.

Serah breathed out as Noel walked next to her, just as perplexed as she was.

"We're on Pulse," She finally managed, a small smile on her face.

Noel nodded, calculating his surroundings carefully. "Sounds about right. But when? This is definitely _way_ before my time."

Serah instantly snapped her head up towards the sky again, turning her body fully around. Her smile got even wider as she pointed up. "There's Cocoon! This has to be before the fall!"

Cocoon was, as Serah said, still in the sky, leaving a slight shadow on the land below it. How puny it looked compared to Gran Pulse.

Noel crossed his arms and glanced at Serah, about to say something but stopped when he saw a group of Behemoths running towards them. He quickly grabbed her wrist, running towards a nearby cliff. Serah, confused, turned her head back and noticed the monsters, her eyes widening. She didn't protest as they ran, Mog following them closely.

They soon made it up and Noel let out a breath when the creatures disbanded, Serah's chest heaving slightly.

"Lots of monsters roaming down here. . ." Serah mused as she glanced around before her eyes focused on another pair of blue hues, "Thanks, Noel."

He smirked, "Well, hey, gotta get you to your sister in one piece. Am I right?"

Serah giggled and nodded, straightening up and looking around again. She glanced at Mog, grabbing him lightly into her petite hands, "Do you know when we are, Mog?"

"Well, kupo, for you, it'd be 0 A.F. A few days before Cocoon's fall, kupo!"

Serah widened her azure eyes. 0 A.F? Lightning would still be a L'Cie and fighting to save Cocoon with Snow and the others. She shuddered at the thought, remembering she was crystallized during this time.

Noel looked at her curiously, "Since we're in 0 A.F . . . Wouldn't that mean Lightning would be here? What could possibly be wrong during this time?"

Serah put her arms around herself, "I wonder. . ."

"Serah-" Noel was cut off short when he started to hear voices. He instantly put his arms out, pushing Serah and himself down onto the ground, Noel looking over the cliff's edge.

"Noel? What's-?"

"Shh!"

Serah instantly shut her mouth as she looked down with him. What she saw made her lose her breath.

There she was. Lightning. With Snow, Hope, Sazh, Vanille and Fang.

What irony. She wanted Lightning and here she was. It was weird seeing her as she was now. Serah couldn't put her finger on it, but she was definitely different somehow. Maybe it was because she was socializing and being nice to others for once in her life.

Snow was, as always, still Snow. Loud and heroistic. Noel rolled his eyes at that as Serah smiled.

Hope was walking with the group silently but he was smiling. Serah smiled wider at that, remembering how timid Hope used to be.

Sazh was talking with Vanille, said girl having a skip in her step as she smiled at him. Fang followed them closely, her arms crossed but smiled at the younger Pulsian.

They were all here. Her heroes.

Noel furrowed his eyebrows slightly, not believing what was happening.

"We should go down there," Serah looked over at Noel as she whispered this.

Noel went rigid and looked at her like she had two heads. "Are you crazy? We could seriously affect the timeline if we did."

"But we have to be here for a reason!" Serah whispered in a louder voice.

Noel continued to look at her before sighing. She had a point. "But what if it doesn't have anything to do with them? Can you imagine if they saw you now, Serah? They think you're still a crystal, for Etro's sake."

Serah bit her lip and looked down at Cocoon's saviors. He had a point. But. . . Lightning was down there. The very person she wanted to see. She knew it wasn't the present Lightning she needed, but still. Clenching her hands, Serah sighed and sank back from the edge of the cliff. Blue eyes followed her movement and the eyebrows above said eyes quirked.

"Serah, I know you're desperate. Let's just take it easy. We'll follow them and see what's going on. Okay?" He reached his hand out and placed it atop of hers, trying to calm her down. She looked at Noel, her eyes wavering slightly. But she smiled at him, grateful he was there with her.

"Okay."

Her tone was light but understanding. Mog shifted his small body towards her, his head nuzzling her cheek. The younger Farron giggled at his affections and put her hand on the other side of the Moogle's face, rubbing it lightly. Noel playfully rolled his eyes. "Okay, Mog. No need to be a suck up."

"You're just jealous, kupo!"

Noel blinked and frowned, grabbing the Moogle from Serah's grasp, "I'll throw you over this cliff, you little marshmellow, if you don't keep that mouth shut."

Mog gulped and scrambled away from him, getting behind Serah quickly. "Save me, Serah, kupo!"

Serah giggled at the two and stood up, shaking her head. She peered down at the group once again. They were all talking and laughing, and it made Serah's heart swell.

"It'd be best if we stayed on higher ground. Wouldn't want to be obvious."

Serah nodded at Noel's words. "Right."

* * *

**A/N:**** Hello~! Welcome to my FF story. :3 I'm desperately in love with this game and I just couldn't resist. Plus, it's been sitting on my computer for, like, ever.**** This is a Serah/Snow/Noel fic but other pairing's will shimmy their way in here. ;)** But, please, please, pleaseeeee, review! It'd mean the world if you gave me your feedback that way I'd know to continue or not. And trust me, things will speed up quick and I don't really plan on making this super long. 

**But anyway, DID YOU GUYS SEE ALL THE NEWS ABOUT KH3 AND LIGHTNING RETURNS AND FFXV? JUST. I CAN'T WAIT. UGHHHHH. /3**

**Have a nice day lovelies.~**


	2. As Lightning Strikes

The two followed the group on foot for what seemed like hours. As it was described by Snow when he told her of his and Lightning's adventures, Gran Pulse was a huge land with fearful creatures. Noel and Serah didn't run into too much trouble but the group on the ground did, almost frequently. Seeing them all fight together, as a team, was what Serah loved the most. Snow had told her they all had their differences in the beginning but they slowly turned into a tight pack of wolves; a family.

But she couldn't see what was wrong with this time. Everything was going as Snow had described to her. From what she remembered, she was pretty sure they were heading to Oerba, Vanille and Fang's home town on Pulse.

But, Serah kept getting distracted by the breath taking beauty of Pulse in its glory days. Growing up, she was taught Pulse was a horrible place but she now lived here, with all of her friends from NORA and other Cocoon civilians. The sun shone high in the sky, the light falling around the land in a picturesque manner.

It was a serene sight, not counting all of the endless monsters roaming around. It was peaceful. But then that moment ended.

* * *

Lightning walked ahead of the five, trying to detect of any signs leading to Oerba. She was growing agitated at the fact that they'd been wandering the plains of Pulse for hours and still had seen no sign of it. The pinkette was starting to think it was either destroyed or the civilization moved. Lightning had her arms crossed as she walked, her steely blue orbs trained in front of her.

A hand was put on her shoulder and her first instinct was to twist that arm right off of her and fling whoever it was onto the ground. But she knew who it was.

She was tempted to do it, but didn't.

"C'mon! Lighten up, sis!"

She snorted at his words, turning her head away from the over sized brute.

"Get it? Lighten up?" Snow cracked a smile at Lightning, shaking her lightly.

"Yeah, Snow. I got it."

Snow furrowed his eyebrows, "Oh, come on. That was comic gold."

Lighting rolled her eyes, keeping her eyes away from the man, "Save your cheesy jokes for Serah. Hopefully, it'll knock some sense into her and dump your sorry ass."

Snow feigned his sadness. "Lightning! Your sister and I love eachother. And anyway, my jokes are the best. You, my sister-in-law, have no sense of humor."

Hope padded lightly up by Snow, looking at the two. "Watch it, Snow. You know she can beat you up, right?"

Snow reached his hand up and rubbed his jaw lightly, remembering the memory of her sending him flying after she punched him. Lightning couldn't help but smirk at Snow, "Listen to the kid. He knows way more then you do."

Snow laughed and so did Hope, Lightning's smirk turning into a genuine smile.

"Lightning."

Lightning turned to the sound of her name, realizing Fang called her. Everyone stopped, even Vanille had stopped her mindless rambling. The aforementioned pinkette turned slightly towards the Pulsian, her eyebrows furrowing from the look on Fang's face.

"What's up?" Lightning asked.

Fang flicked her eyes up towards some higher ground, not moving her head. "We're bein' followed."

Lightning widened her eyes as Snow started to look around, not being too discreet about it. Sazh followed suit, as did the others. "Who would be following us? On Pulse no less?" The older man questioned, his hands getting closer to his guns.

"It could be Barthandelus." Hope piped up, his eyes narrowing.

Vanille gasped and put her hand up close to her mouth. "But why?"

Lightning shrugged, her eyes darting around the terrain. "Who knows and who cares. Whoever it is, we'll just finish them off here."

Fang smirked, crossing her arms, and clearing her throat. The group turned to her again and Fang indicated her head again up to a nearby cliff. Lightning, without hesitation, darted off, pulling out her gunblade with ease, Snow not too far behind her. Hope, with determination, grabbed his boomerang and stalked after them, but not quite reaching them. Sazh sighed, looking at Vanille.

"Can't ever catch a break, can we?"

Vanille smiled and linked arms with Fang, "Where's your Lady Luck now?"

The two Pulsians followed the others, Sazh sighing again and starting to follow. "Damn kids. I'm gettin' too old for this."

* * *

Noel had noticed that the six-some had stopped, starting to look around. He narrowed his deep crystal orbs at the scene, instinctively grabbing Serah's arm.

Said pinkette glanced down at his hand on hers and brought her eyes up to his face. His hand yanked her down, him settling onto his knees, bringing her with him. She yelped and fell onto her knees as well, looking fully at Noel now.

"What are you doing?" She hissed.

Noel didn't respond but kept his eyes trained on the group. Serah followed his gaze, her eyes falling onto the group below, noticing their lack of movement.

Serah couldn't help but roll her eyes. They were probably just taking a break. She knew better then anyone that Lightning had the stamina of a horse, the others sure didn't though.

"Noel, they're probably just resting."

Her eyes fell back on him but before she could say another word, she was lifted by the force of his arm and he started to dash, Mog 'kupo'ing behind them.

"Noel!" Serah screeched.

"They've noticed us, we have to get some distance!" He yelled over his shoulder and they moved around the terrain, trying to manuever their way without pause.

But she could hear it. Her sister's voice calling out to her other L'Cie to not let them escape. Serah bit her lip as she ran, her hand tightly clasped in Noel's.

What if her sister stopped them? What would happen? Would she be glad Serah was okay, or surprised? The pinkette had waited for this moment for years now; to see her sister, embrace, and to never let go. She cherished her sibling to no end. She basically had raised the girl since she was young. Yes, she remembered her real parents but Lightning was her true guardian, the one she loved and cherished most.

And what about Snow? Would he be happy, too? Her fiancée was always on her mind, as well, never truly leaving it.

But, now that she was thinking about it, the less she actually wanted to be caught by them. Not only would she have to explain herself, and Noel for that matter, but she would also have to actually face Lightning. This wasn't even her Lightning. This was a past Lightning, the Lightning who had rejected her when Serah had confessed to her about being a L'Cie. The Lightning who despised her fiancée to no end. Granted, from what Snow had explained to her, she'd changed, but still. Serah was a nervous wreck at this point.

Serah shook her head vigorously, trying to rid her mind of those negative thoughts and focusing on hiding from the group who was now chasing them.

"Noel," Serah called to her companion, "There's nowhere to hide! Where are we going to go?"

Noel clenched his jaw, knowing Serah was absolutely right. Pulse wasn't exactly covered with forests; it was a barren land. They really had nowhere to go, but, nontheless, he continued to pull Serah, hoping Lightning and the others would give up. But he didn't know Lightning.

Suddenly, Noel cried out and fell to the ground, making Serah stumble but she caught herself before she could hit the ground. She saw from her peripheral the movement of a boomerang retract back to wherever it came from. Hope no doubt. Serah quickly tried to get Noel up, pulling at him anxiously.

"Stop where you are!"

Serah stopped cold, torn between being happy or scared. The ponytail pinkette's back was turned to her sister but she slowly stood up straight, her hands coming up in a way to show her she meant no harm. Noel coughed, slowly getting to his knees. He quickly glanced at Serah, seeing if she was hurt. She wasn't but he saw how scared she looked. Noel frowned and started to get up.

"I said stay where you are!" A voice shot out, footsteps nearing them.

The brunette cursed silently, staying on his knees. Mog stayed by Noel but floated slowly by Serah, just in case.

Lightning looked over the two, particuarly at the male. He seemed ready to pounce at any moment. Her gunblade was poised and ready, if any action was necessary. But when her eyes fell on the female, her eyes almost fell out of her head. Her hair caught Lightning's attention, and Snow's, no doubt. But it couldn't be; Serah was on Cocoon, in crystal stasis. This had to be a trap, Barthandelus' idea, no doubt.

Snow stepped closer, though, taken aback. Lightning hurriedly put out her gunblade, stopping his movement. They couldn't take any chances. Snow looked torn but he stayed quiet, heeding Lightning's actions.

"Turn around, both of you." Her tone wasn't exactly friendly.

Serah breathed out the breath she'd been holding. She didn't know what to do. She was scared. She saw Noel slowly get up, his hands still up and he glanced at her, showing her he was here and nothing was going to happen. Serah, terrified, only nodded and turned around with him, their eyes falling onto the group.

Snow couldn't take it. He moved a little past Lightning, getting as close as he could. "Serah?" He breathed in shock. Lightning stopped as well, but only for a moment, before putting on her tough exterior.

"That can't be Serah and you know it, Snow." She moved closer warily, her eyes looking dangerous. "Who are you?"

Serah took a step, her eyes watering. "Lightning. . . It's really me, Serah."

Her voice made Snow stumble. How he missed her sweet, melodic voice. But Lightning could be right; this could be a trap.

Lightning said nothing but raised her blade more when Serah took a step. The older Farron's eyes darted to the brown haired male, skeptic. "Who's this?"

By now, the rest of the group had joined them, not really knowing what was going on. But once Vanille saw Serah, she knew something was up. So many questions were running through her head.

Serah swallowed, "This is Noel. Noel Kreiss. He's travelling with me. If you'd just let me explain-"

"Enough!"

All eyes turned to Vanille as she called out. Fang came by her, her eyebrows raised, "Vanille?"

Vanille ignored her and walked to Serah, looking determined. Lightning tried to stop her but Vanille kept going. Serah widened her eyes, starting to put her hands down. The Pulsian stopped right before Serah and looked her over before settling onto her eyes. Vanille's hand came up and settled on Serah's top left arm, right where her brand was before. Serah's breath hitched, looking at Vanille with knowing eyes. Vanille's frown dissipated and turned into a smile, as soon did Serah's. Everyone else looked at them with confused faces, not really sure what was happening. But for Vanille, she knew. The memory between her and Serah still lingered and she could see in Serah's eyes that she remembered that time on Bodhum's beach, when Serah had helped her. Barthandelus would've never have known that. This had to be Serah.

Vanille turned back to her L'Cie, still smiling. She nodded, "Yup, this is Serah alright."

Lightning still wasn't convinced but Snow quickly made his way to her, Vanille moving aside for him. The man grabbed her hands into his own and looked into her eyes. A single tear fell from Serah's face as she smiled at him, a shaky laugh coming out her petite lips. His eyes lit up and he quickly wrapped his arms around her and picked her up in a hug.

"Serah, baby!" He laughed and twirled her, just like their reunion after Cocoon had fell. She laughed, gripping him back tightly.

Noel relaxed and smiled slightly, liking the way things had turned out. Lightning had crossed her arms, putting her gunblade away and looked at Noel.

Something was off, she could feel it.

Serah was soon set down and was bombarded with questions by Snow but she soon silenced him. She looked at Noel and he nodded, knowing what she had to do. Serah breathed in and looked at Lightning, Snow, and then the rest of the group.

"I'll explain everything the best I can."

* * *

**A/N:**** Hi again~. ****I just thought I'd upload this chapter, too, since I already had it typed. Also, I wanted to say thank you to The Simplest of Hearts for favoriting and following this. It means a lot, thank you!**

**I know reviewing can sometimes be annoying and you don't feel like it. Believe me, I don't, either, even though I should. -_-" But it'd be _really _great if you did! It'd motivate me and I'd love to hear people's opinions on this! **

**But anyway, thanks for reading and have a nice day~!**


	3. Whimpering Souls

Serah knew. She knew she couldn't tell them _everything_, but she had to try. Lightning didn't trust her and she had good reason not to. Serah had come up out of nowhere with some strange male, which Snow was still skeptic of. Serah had explained that after all of their efforts, they had saved Cocoon and everyone on it, including herself and Dajh. Sazh couldn't have been any happier then that moment, though Vanille tried to stray from that topic of conversation. She told them about the altered timeline, and even though they didn't know for sure, they were pretty certain it was someone Noel knew; Caius. Serah gave vague information, explaining she couldn't tell them everything, which they understood, though Lightning wasn't too keen on any of the information Serah had to offer.

Noel, on the other hand, couldn't of been more thrilled after everything had been debriefed. He had so many questions for Fang and Vanille, mostly about their village and, of course, the Paddra civilization. For Noel, this was a dream come true, getting to know more about Yuel and her heritage and, possibly, his own.

Serah had walked away after that, trying to collect herself. The last half an hour was bitter-sweet for her; getting to see Lightning was a blessing. But at the same time, it was like nothing had changed from the last time she had spoken to Lightning face to face; she didn't believe Serah, not one bit. It was frustrating and heartbreaking, knowing that your own _family_ didn't trust nor believe you.

Serah sighed and wrapped her arms around herself, looking towards the setting sun on the horizon, the light turning to a burning flare across the terrain. The creatures were settling down now, resting for a new adventure for the next day to come.

The wind started to pick up, making Serah's ponytail sway ever so slightly. Serah wished she had a camera, the way the sun was setting across such beautiful and undisturbed land was breathtaking. But memories were all she had left now. She would save this moment in her mind for years to come.

Snow, noticing Serah's absence, soon found his way over to her but stopping just short of where she was. He couldn't place it, but something was different about her. Was it that she was older? Or could he tell that she had the weight of the world on her shoulders; growing up too fast? But she was here and it was great. He could hold her, protect her, do whatever he needed to do to keep her here with him.

He soon stood beside her and she looked up at him, surprised, before flashing a small smile, turning back towards the view.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Snow watched her for a few seconds before nodding, "Breathtaking."

Serah's smile widened a little more, looking over at him. "I keep forgetting. . . You're not the Snow I know three years from now. I mean, you haven't changed that much, but you're more," she paused before turning her gaze back to the front of her,". . . I don't know, reserved."

Snow blinked, furrowing his blond eyebrows at her. He could tell something was wrong, he knew Serah.

He reached his hand down, grabbing her arm lightly, putting her petite gloved hand into his, "Talk to me. What's bothering you? Is it Lightning?"

Serah stiffened, not used to the contact, before relaxing. She breathed out and shrugged. "It just feels like the past is repeating itself, that's all. I mean, the whole reason I even started this journey was to-" Serah shook her head, cutting herself off.

She couldn't tell him. Etro she wanted to, but she just _couldn't._

"-Was to fix the timeline, make everything right again. Make us a better future." She finished, tilting her head down towards the ground.

Snow paused, watching her as her shoulders started to tremble, hearing her light sniffles. No. He wouldn't let her cry. The only tear he ever wanted to see from her again was her crystal one.

Snow quickly covered the short distance between them, bringing her into his arms, enveloping her the best he could. Serah stopped mid-crying, taken aback at his actions. She hadn't felt him hug her like this in a long time. The last time he had was just a few days before he left to go search for Lightning. For a moment, she briefly wondered how her Snow was doing. Was he alright?

She stopped her thoughts quickly and embraced her past Snow back quickly, putting her head on his chest, "Snow, it's so hard. I want- I want to be strong but it's _so hard._ You and Lightning. . . You make it look _so_ easy."

Snow rubbed her back lightly, nodding, "It can be hard, Serah. But, if you have something worth fighting for, it makes it a whole lot easier. Trust me."

The older male pushed her back at arm's length, his signature grin plastered on his face.

"Looking at you now, you've grown so much in the years to come. It makes me happy to see you can fend for yourself, protect yourself. Even if you can't, you have me to help you, Serah. I'll always be here because I love you. You know that, don't you? You're not alone and you never will be. You have your sister, myself, and even that punk kid, Noel, and everyone else."

Snow rubbed her upper arms lightly as he spoke, Serah hanging onto his every word. She slowly nodded, her smile falling back into place.

"Want me to talk to your sister? I know she can be hard headed, but-"

"Hey!"

The couple turned to the voice, their eyebrows raising. Lightning stood some distance away, her usual stioc face in a frown as her arms were crossed.

"We're heading out, Snow, come on."

Snow furrowed his eyebrows, letting Serah go as he walked over to the older Farron, Serah watching them silently.

"Are you really going to treat your sister like this?" Snow narrowed his eyes as he hushed his voice, as to not alert Serah of the impending fight.

"I'm not having this discussion. Who even knows if that's Serah, Snow? This could be Fal'Cie smoke and mirrors for all we know. Both of them could be leading us to a trap. Sorry, but I'm saving my _real_ sister and I'll be damned if this fake one gets me killed." Her steely blue orbs narrowed back at him, challenging him to question her.

". . . You know what happened the last time you disreguarded your sister, Light? She turned to _crystal_ to save Cocoon, all because you wouldn't help her." His voice was slowly starting to become louder.

Serah could tell they were arguing. But she wouldn't have it, not again, not for her sake. They had always done that, and from what her Snow had told her of their adventures, they had grown closer. Serah would not let herself come between them again.

Serah walked over to the two, determined. She grabbed Snow's arm lightly, making him stumble back as she pulled him lightly. "Snow, it's fine. She doesn't have to believe me, I'd be pretty suspicious, too." Serah smiled kindly at Lightning, the older Farron's eyes wide, before she scoffed, turning her head from her.

Snow looked down at Serah, "Serah, this isn't fine-"

"Yes, it is. Just leave it alone."

Snow grew quiet, giving Lightning one last look before starting to walk off, growing agitated.

Serah sighed, glancing at Lightning quickly. "Claire . . ."

Lightning snapped her head up, her eyes narrowing, "Don't. Don't say my name like that."

Serah fought the tears, already feeling them pool to her eyes. She bit her lip before letting out another breath to steady herself, "We won't travel with you, if you don't want us to. But, we have to be here for a reason, or else we never would've ended up here," she grabbed her arm lightly, "So . . ."

"Whatever. Just don't get in our way."

And with that, Lightning turned on her heel and walked off, leaving Serah by herself, yet again. The second time Lightning had up and left her, wondering what she had done wrong. Serah glanced up at the darkening sky, letting her arm go.

"Lightning, if you can hear me, I'll be okay. Just. . . Please, give me a sign, or _something._ I thought I could do this alone, but I can't. I know I shouldn't be needy and it's selfish, but.," she paused, shaking her head, "Just be safe, I'll be coming to bring you home soon."

Someone bumped Serah's shoulder and she looked up, seeing Noel. Serah sighed, turning to him fully.

"They decided to camp for the night, and Snow said we could join them, though Lightning was giving me attitude about it."

Serah smiled lightly, moving her hand up to fix her bangs, "That's good."

Noel quirked an eyebrow at the pinkette, putting a hand on his hip. "You okay?"

Serah nodded, "Just tired. Had an emotional day."

Noel smiled softly, reaching up and ruffling her hair lightly. "I know. We'll be okay," he paused before continuing, "Has she lightened up on you yet?"

Serah shook her head, putting her head down, biting her trembling lip. She couldn't keep up this facade in front of him, he could read her like an open book.

"Hey-"

"I'm fine. I'm gonna head to bed," she breathed in, letting a few tears escape before wiping at her face quickly. She looked up at him, smiling.

"Thanks, Noel. For being here."

Noel blinked, surprised, before nodding. "Of course."

"Goodnight." She turned quickly, stalking off towards the groups camp, keeping her head held high.

Noel watched her go as he clenched his hand. He wanted to let her know she could come to him for anything. He acquired a soft spot for the girl during their travels and he wanted nothing more than to hug her and talk to her, like he once had with Yuel. But he knew he couldn't. In this time, Snow was so protective, he could tell. He could also tell Snow saw him as a threat, and he liked that idea. He couldn't really stand Snow that much, anyway. He was beginning to wonder if this soft spot would develop into something more but he quickly shook the thought.

What was he thinking? She was _engaged_, and her betrothed was here with her. This was frustrating and he just needed to rest. He learned a lot about the Paddra's today and it left him asking more.

But he knew one thing. He had to stop Caius. And he'd do it, one way or another. He had more than one thing to protect now, and he wasn't going to lose another loved one. Never again.

* * *

**A/N:**** Oh wow, hey again! Your guys' feedback was amazing, thank you! :D**

**I know this was kinda a filler chapter, nothing much happening and all, but it kinda sets the bar for where everyone is with eachother, especially with Lightning and Serah, Serah and Snow, and Serah and Noel. But, next chapter we'll be seeing the others come into play and such, so look forward to that. :3**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and see you next time!~**


	4. The Seeress' Twin

Serah stretched silently as she sat up from her makeshift 'bed', which was basically a torn blanket they had found nearby, rubbing her eyes slowly. The sun had barely risen over the horizon yet, making it known to Serah that it was still early. She couldn't help it, though, she had always been a morning person unlike her sister, who wished death upon those who were so upbeat and happy in the morning.

Mog stirred beside her, muttering a small 'kupo', before slowly rising up off the ground, turning to Serah.

". . . What's wrong, Serah, kupo?"

The aforementioned pinkette quickly looked around, while fixing her ponytail which she had let down the night before. Noticing everyone else was still asleep, she got up slowly, finishing her hair quickly.

Turning to Mog, she lightly smiled, "Nothing, I'm just hungry. Want to help me gather some food?"

Mog bobbed his head, making it look like a nod, before he 'kupo'd' loudly in glee. Serah hurriedly hushed him, which he apologized.

The duo walked off from the camp, not noticing some distance away a young girl watching them intently.

* * *

Carrying various fruits with Mog talking animatedly beside her, Serah smiled in content. The sun had rose higher now, not even touching the horizon anymore. She could tell she had been gone for a while, but she wanted to treat her heroes with a nice breakfast before they got going to Oerba. It was the least she could do, especially for Lightning.

"-It was so great, kupo! Lightning would always beat me, though, because she was so strong! But I gave it my best, kupo!"

Serah laughed lightly, turning her head slightly to the smaller creature, "I bet. Lightning has always been headstrong."

The Moogle nodded in agreement, waving his time staff slightly. "Has Lightning talked to you, kupo?"

Serah blinked, "Uh, no- Wait. Which one?"

"Your Lightning, silly kupo."

The pinkette sighed, shaking her head. "Nope," She paused, looking at Mog fully now, "Is she supposed to be?"

"I would've thought she would have, kupo. She talks to me sometimes, kupo, kupo. . ."

Serah had begun to respond before she was grabbed harshly from the back of her head, by her hair. She cried out as she was lifted up, making her drop all of the fruit she had collected. Flailing her legs, she tried to kick whoever it was that had grabbed her but to no avail. They had her.

Stepping in front of her with Mog in the petite girls' hands, was a young girl, a girl Serah knew as Yeul. Serah widened her eyes, her breath catching in her throat. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a glimpse of purple. The one holding her had to be Caius.

Her eyes watering from the pain of her hair being pulled out of her head, Serah kept her azure eyes on Yeul. "Yeul? Wh-What are you doing here?"

"You're not supposed to be here. You're a paradox." The girl said flatly, never taking her eyes off the Moogle in her hands as she inspected him.

Mog had gone limp for some reason and that worried Serah. There was no way she could even begin to think about fighting Caius without Mog. It would be near impossible.

Caius' grip hardened when she continued to struggle against him so she soon stopped and went limp, him setting her down on her feet. Surprised, Serah went to run, but was stopped by his hands clamping down on her upper arms tightly. Not wanting to fight him, she stood there looking at the young Seeress.

Her blue hair was down, her face not covered by that veil she usually wore. She was still wearing the same clothes from the last time she saw her. Nothing about her was different which was to be expected of a reincarnation.

"But Caius has informed me that he would like your assistance in something."

Serah widened her eyes. Why would Caius want help from her? He was an immortal being who had all the power in the world.

Dumbfounded, Serah was turned toward the immortal. Caius studied her closely, letting one of her arms go as his hand came up to her face, cupping her cheek lightly. Serah averted her eyes. She would not look weak in front of him. She kept her face straight, not showing any fear, even though she felt it tremendously.

"Do not fret, servant of Etro. I have big plans for you."

* * *

Noel tapped his foot against the ground impatiently as he looked around the L'Cie's camp. No one seemed to mind that Serah had been missing for a few hours now and it was pissing him off to no end. Even Snow brushed it off, saying how she was a morning person and was probably just strolling around. This wasn't sitting right with the hunter; he could tell something was wrong.

"Are you guys done yet? We need to start looking for Serah."

Snow stopped mid-packing and turned to the young warrior, "She's fine, Noel. Believe me, she used to scare me like that, too, when she'd disappear early mornings."

"Why would she be with you during the early morning's, Snow?"

Snow cringed and slowly turned to a not-so-friendly looking Lightning. The blond smiled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, "Uh, well, you see, Light, uh. . . She'd come over and watch movies, and we'd just, you know, fall asleep and stuff. Ehehe. . ."

The older Farron merely raised an eyebrow, not amused in the slightest, as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Noel sighed and rolled his eyes. This was the last thing he wanted to be doing right now. Serah needed him and he'd be there. He promised Lightning, and Noel Kreiss never broke his promises. That, and he was doing it of his own volition. Growing impatient, Noel turned and stormed out of the area, Snow yelling at him to stop while he left.

"Jeez, that guy sure is impatient." Snow sighed while shaking his head.

Lightning walked up beside him, giving him a look. "Huh. Sounds like someone we know, doesn't it? Especially when it involved Serah."

Snow snapped his head down towards Lightning, his eyes wide. She was right. She was absolutely right and it pained him to have to admit it. Now that he thought about it, Serah had been gone longer then necessary. Clenching his fists, he turned, starting to walk, before stopping. Lightning raised both of her eyebrows, watching him.

"You comin'?"

Lightning's eyes widened, just as the blond had done. ". . ."

Frowning, Snow continued off, not sparing a glance back towards his soon to be sister-in-law.

"Guys!"

The remaining L'Cie turned towards Lightning, not trying to give off that they had been listening the whole time.

"Take what's only necessary, we're moving out."

Giving their approving replies, they scurried around, finishing up their cleaning and packing.

Lightning put her arms down at her sides, clenching her fists.

"We're going to find my sister," The pinkette whispered to herself.

* * *

Caius watched his other Seeress struggle against her restraints as she failed miserably at loosening her ties. Smirking to himself, he turned towards Yeul, his smirk turning into a smile. They were all by the shore in Oerba and this Yeul, he had found out, had a fascination with sea shells. Knowing this, Caius thought this would be the best place for his Seeress to rest and enjoy her time while he dealt with more. . . Pressing matters.

"What is it that you have, Yeul?"

Yeul turned to look at Caius, her stoic face turning into a small smile, "I found sea shells. Aren't they pretty?"

The immortal nodded, glancing at her collection of shells. They mainly consisted of a white color but had different shapes and designs. "Very pretty."

The young Seeress' smile widened a bit more before returning to her collection, trying to scavenge even more for herself. Getting up, Caius made his way back towards Serah, who was sitting lamely on the ground with her restraints around her wrists and ankles, a still unconscious Mog laying beside her. Caius kneeled in front of her, surveying her physical state. Serah said nothing, though she knew he was in front of her.

The immortal's deep voice broke the 'swishing' of the waves around them, "Are you hungry, Seeress?"

Blinking, Serah turned her head up towards the purple haired being. ". . . Why do you keep calling me that? I'm not. . . I'm not a Seeress like Yeul."

"But you are. Yeul can sense it, and so can I. As a Guardian of the farseer's, it is my job to protect Yeul, and essentially, you. I will ask again: Are you hungry?"

Serah didn't want anything to do with him or his beliefs of her being a Seeress. Serah was just Serah. She was raised in Bodhum with her older sister, Claire, and was engaged to the best man in the world. She wasn't some prophet for the Goddess Etro. Sighing, Serah nodded lightly. She was just tired of this whole situation.

Nodding with her, he produced a few apples from beside him and picked one up, moving it to her face. Serah blinked at him, raising her eyebrows in disbelief. "Are you really not going to untie me?"

Caius made a noise of displeasure, narrowing his eyes at her. "I don't want you running away. This is for your safety."

Biting her lip, Serah looked away from him. He was treating her like she was five years old. But she wasn't, she was 21 for Etro's sake! She could feed herself, dammit! Pursing her lips, she kept her head turned from him, her eyebrows furrowing in determination. Caius blinked at her actions. Yeul had never acted like this; she was always so compliant and down to earth. Narrowing his eyes even more, he shoved the apple even further so that it touched her lips. "Stop acting like a child and eat. You need to keep your strength up. I can't have something dire happen to a Seeress."

"Why do you even need me any- MMF!"

Whilst her talking, Caius had shoved the apple into her mouth, making her bite down on it in the process. He pulled it away so as she could chew, her head turned towards him now, eyes narrowed. Mouth full of apple now, Serah chewed slowly as some of the juice from the fruit slid down from her lips to her chin, making her face feel sticky. After she had swallowed, Caius slowly wiped her mouth, which surprised Serah. With a huff, she continued to eat as he fed her, soon finishing the apple.

The Guardian picked another up, raising it towads her mouth, "Another?"

Serah shook her head firmly, not wanting to be fed anymore. She had never been so embarrassed than in that moment.

Setting it down, he nodded to her. After making sure her restraints were still tight, he got up, pulling an object out.

"Now, for more urgent metters."

Serah widened her eyes when her eyes landed onto the object. It was her crystal tear. Her breath hitched when Caius grasped it tighter into his hands, looking like he was concentrating.

"H-How did you get that?" Serah choked out.

"That is of no importance, Seeress."

Furrowing his eyebrows, Caius continued to concentrate. As he did, Serah could see a dark essence escaping his hand, slowly infusing it into the crystal. Serah had seen this darkness somewhere before, but she just couldn't place where.

The immortal let out a breath when he had finished, the crystal had turned into a dark gray color, almost like an ash. Inside, little specks of red and purple could be seen. Caius then kneeled back down in front of Serah, his gaze intent on hers. Serah eyed the crystal before looking at him, "What have you done?"

"I have infused this crystal tear with the power of Chaos. This, my dear Seeress, is the key to a better future. A better future for Yeul."

He held the crystal in front of her now, Serah's wide azure eyes trained on it. Slowly, he moved it down so it touched Serah, right on the middle of her chest. The young Farron's breath hitched when it did, the crystal letting off an ominous feeling on her skin. Not soon after, the crystal started to infuse with her skin, wanting to become apart of her chest. Serah cried out, the pain becoming too much for her petite body to handle. Caius watched her as something flickered in her eyes before she closed them tightly, her back arching, her body trying to reject the alien object entering her.

Soon, the pain subsided, and the crystal had stopped halfway into her chest so it was still visible. Feeling drained all of a sudden, Serah slumped forward, falling into Caius' arms as he caught her. He laid her upper body onto his lap, his hand moving some of her stray hair out of her face.

"Sweet dreams, Serah Farron."

Yeul hadn't turned during the whole ordeal, but she frowned as she only found one more sea shell, adding it to her collection.

* * *

_**A/N:**_** Hey all! I'm sorry for the late update but this just wouldn't write! Ugh, I hate writer's block. -.- Plus, after I had written this once, it decided to delete itself. You have no idea how pissed I was, good lord.**

**Anyway, here you go! I know it's kinda sucky, but it's better than nothing right? Thanks for all the follows, favorites, and reviews, they mean so much! **

**See you soon~! :D**


	5. Fading Resolve

Noel was beyond annoyed. Snow had finally caught up to him, and to be frank, he was better off being by himself. In his opinion, anyway. Knowing it was urgent, Snow didn't try to keep up a conversation with the time traveler, but, for some reason unbeknowst to the young brunette, the older, and more built, man would make comments to himself on how stupid he was for letting Serah leave on her own, how he should've been there for her. Noel would agree with him, he was stupid. He reminded him so much of Caius, it was uncanny. But, that wasn't important right now; Serah was.

It worried him even more when he noticed Mog wasn't with them, either. But, it left him with a sense of ease knowing Serah had a weapon to defend herself with. She could fight, there was no doubt about that, but, honestly, her stamina was lacking. Noel made a mental note to train with her when she was found.

Two pairs of blue orbs searched the barren landscape endlessly, the afternoon sun beating down on them with no remorse. But they didn't care, they were on a mission.

"I swear to Etro, if she's napping, I'm gonna rip her ponytail right out of her head."

Blond eyebrows raised, Snow's head turning to the shorter male beside him, "Serah doesn't nap."

"Doesn't nap? That's all she does when we have free time!" Noel shook his head, keeping his eyes trained in front of him.

"That doesn't sound like my Serah."

Noel stopped suddenly, Snow noticing when he was a good few feet in front of him. Turning, Snow blinked at the hunter, confused.

"You okay?"

Narrowed blue orbs were directed at the older male, radiating annoyance, "Stop with the '_my_' stuff. She's not an object. Serah isn't _owned_."

Silence wafted between the two for a few moments before Snow began to retaliate, but was cut off.

"And anyway, she has more than one person in her life. You're not the only person in her thoughts. You're not her sun that she revolves around. She has her sister, Gadot, Lebreau, Maqui, Yuj. . . _**Me."**_

Noel wasn't the only one annoyed now. Stepping closer, with his fists clenched, Snow stared at Noel. He couldn't believe the words that were coming out of this kids mouth. How _dare_ he.

"Now you just wait one God damned minute. I never said that I _owned_ her. I was just saying that I knew my fiancée _. _I don't know who you think you are, but I _**love**_ Serah and I would do _anything_ for her. I don't even know why she's travelling with you to begin with, I should be by her side. Hell, I'm her future husband! What, in my future self's right mind, would let someone I don't even know go with her?!"

"Sorry to burst your self conceited bubble, _**hero**_," Noel said through clenched teeth as he neared Snow as well, their chests almost touching now, "But you _left_ her in the future. I don't know about you, but I would never leave the one I love behind."

Oh, If Snow wanted to push his buttons, Noel would push right back. He knew he was being ridiculous and childish, but he was just about fed up with Mr. Villiers and his cocky attitude. He shouldn't of even been telling him this, but he had to puncture his ego somehow. Granted, Snow left to try and find Lightning for Serah, but he'd leave that little detail out for now. He was still pissed as hell and would _not_ back down from his now.

Noel didn't know when these feeling started for the kind-hearted pinkette, but they hit him full force ever since he met Snow in the Sunleth Waterscape. He didn't know if it was his nonchalant attitude towards throwing himself in harms' way without thinking of the consequences, or just the overall way Snow brushed Serah off when she announced their engagement to the hunter. It was like he was too focused on being the hero to even care. The way her face fell when he told him their wedding was on hold killed the brunette. He could tell she cared deeply for this man, and if something happened to him, she wouldn't know what to do with herself. Knowing this, Noel instantly hated him when they came back to see him just throw himself into that fight with the flan, ultimately almost killing him. If he did, Noel would've brought him back just to kill him again, for Serah's sake.

Snow took a step back, wide eyed, trying to process what the little punk had just told him. Left her? But why? How? What did he mean by 'leave'? Breathing a little heavier now, he shook his head. "You're. . . You're lying."

"The truth hurts, doesn't it?"

Fuming now, Snow pushed Noel back roughly, sending the brunette stumbling back. "I would never leave Serah. I don't know what the fuck you're talking about, but you're a God damn liar! Go back to wherever it is you came from 'cause Serah doesn't need you anymore. She has me."

"You think she's gonna stay with you? She can't stay with you here, she belongs in the future. Your job is to find and save this times' Serah, not the Serah you met yesterday. So, technically, I'm her protector. The Lightning from the future, herself, has asked me to look after her, and I intend to." Noel came right back at him and pushed him, too, though it didn't have much effect like it had on Noel.

Snow started to come back at him, fully intent on pummeling the hunter, before they heard a loud squeel not too far from them. Both men snapped their heads to the right, their eyes settling on a hunched over pinkette on the ground, groaning to herself. Noel raised his eyebrows, his anger slowly starting to dissipate. This girl was really interesting, especially with her personality.

Snow quickly made his way over to the young Pulsian, putting out his hand to help her up, "You okay, Vanille?"

"Ah, yes. Sorry, I was just in a hurry to find you two that I forgot to keep track of my feet!" Vanille giggled, clasping her hand into Snow's as he helped her up, using her other hand to dust off her skirt and fur pelt.

After fixing herself, she looked up at the males, smiling wide. "Well, now that I've found you, let's go!"

Snow raised his eyebrows as well, blinking at her, "Go? Go where? We're looking for Serah, Vanille."

"I know, I know! Lightning thinks she might've found Oerba since we're close now, so I came to find you both so we could meet up with the gang." Vanille placed her hands on her hips, her smile never leaving her face.

Noel crossed his arms over his chest, glancing at Snow quickly before looking back at Vanille. Their argument would have to wait for another day.

"Lead the way then."

Vanille nodded at Noel's words and turned, punching the air, "Onward!"

* * *

Once the trio had met up with the others, they began their short trek to Oerba. Snow and Noel deliberately avoided each other, not sparing the other even a glance. Lightning had noticed, though she didn't say anything.

Snow had a lot to think about. Noel's words hit home, doing exactly what the hunter intended them to do; to hurt. But, throughout his own thoughts, Snow was a little more interested in Lightning's motive for trying to find Serah with much more motivation than before. The muscular man looked down towards the ex-Guardian Corps officer, trying to read into her. Her face was normal, narrowed gaze, face in a frown. But now, she looked determined. More determined then he'd seen in a while. It brought a smile to his face, knowing she was finally starting to warm up to the idea of a future Serah.

Noel couldn't help but listen in onto Vanille's mindless chatter with Sazh, since he had nothing better to do. He was put at ease slightly, thinking Serah most likely wandered off to explore, ultimately finding Oerba. He still worried, though, regardless.

"Oh, it's so beautiful, Sazh! The flowers are so vibrant and have this delicious smell, it's great! And the sea shore just takes my breath away." Vanille sighed blissfully, recalling her memories of the former Oerba.

"Sounds great, kiddo. Dajh would love it, for sure."

"Oh, of course! Right, baby Chocobo?"

The Chocobo chick chirped, springing out of Sazhs' hair, fluttering down into Vanille's hands. Vanille giggled at the little fluff of yellow feathers, nodding her head at the chick, "I thought so."

"Serah and I have been to Oerba. It. . . Kinda sounds like your version. Minus the flowers and vibrant stuff, maybe." Noel couldn't help himself. He slowed down his pace, matching the other two's footsteps now, as he looked at the pair.

"Really now? When was this?" Fang piped in, eyeing the hunter skeptically.

Noel blinked, trying to recall the events. "I think Mog said. . ." Noel stopped quickly.

Could he tell them Cocoon had fell? Or had Serah told them already? He hadn't really spent too much attention on her explanation to the group, though maybe he should have. He was all too eager to question Fang and Vanille of their heritage and Yeul's own history. He beat himself up mentally.

"Um, actually, I'm not too sure. Sorry." Noel scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

Fang furrowed her eyebrows at Noel, not convinced with his answer, before sighing. "It's fine."

Hope had slowly become interested in the groups' conversation, so he quickly tried to match his pace with theirs, "Noel, right?"

Noel turned his head to his right, blinking. He had totally forgotten Hope was here. Looking at the boy as he was now, he seemed already as matured as his older self. But, in this time, he was timid; more shy. Noel nodded with a smirk, now he was the older one and in control.

"What did you do in the future? What was your home like?"

Noel's smirk instantly fell. He averted his gaze, not wanting to recall his future. Not now. "Uh, well, I was a hunter. It was okay. Not many people. We had a small village."

It wasn't _that _much of a lie, at least.

Hope nodded, "Sounds lonely."

"You have no idea."

Hope looked at the older man, his blue eyes wide and searching. Noel wore a small frown on his face and Hope was about to try and apologize for prying, but he was cut off by Vanille.

"Ah! I think we're here!"

Vanille hurried ahead, Fang trailing behind her, as she ran past Lightning and Snow, who were at the head of the group. Laughing with excitement, she ran into the clearing, Fang behind her. But she stopped.

Oerba used to be vibrant with colors and flowers, people roaming around the small village. But what Fang saw now was nothing like that memory. It was desolate and void of any color, besides white and other shades of it. The buildings were run down and crumbling. The only thing that remained constant was the ocean.

Vanille stopped not soon after Fang, her eyes wide while flicking them over her old home. Stopping right before the ramp that went down to the center of the village, she collapsed to her knees, her face showing disbelief.

"What. . . How, we. . ." Fang knelt beside the frail Pulsian, putting an arm around her shoulder.

"It's alright, Vanille. This was bound to happen since we've been away for so long. We still have each other, right?"

Vanille let a few tears slip before looking over at Fang, wiping at her eyes quickly with her dainty hands, "Mhm. . . It's just. . . A lot to take in."

The pig-tailed pinkette looked around once more before getting up slowly, Fang moving her arm from the girls shoulders to the small of her back, to help steady her. Vanille nodded to Fang, indicating she was okay, which Fang, in turn, let her go.

The rest of them had caught up to them, Noel now up by Lightning and Snow. Noel surveyed his surroundings, walking past Fang and Vanille to the the village's square. This definitely looked similar to the last time Serah and him were there.

Turning to his left, he thought he saw a glimpse of someone on the beach. Thinking it was Serah, he quickly bolted to the other ramp that led down to the beach. Lightning had noticed and quickly followed him, who was followed by Snow.

When Noel hit the sand, he could tell it was her. Her ponytail was a dead giveaway. He smiled, and slowed his movements slightly, jogging up beside her.

"Serah! Thank Etro, we've been looking everywhere for you!"

Lightning had stopped a few feet away from them, looking over Serah and Noel. Why had Serah stayed here, knowing she had to come back for Noel? It didn't make much sense to the older Farron. She was a little wary of the situation.

Snow moved past Lightning to greet Serah, as well, but he stopped when Serah turned to Noel. Her eyes. . . They seemed different.

Serah blinked at the taller male before realization dawned on her face. She smiled, "Noel."

Noel raised an eyebrow but smiled back, grabbing her forearm lightly to turn her more towards him. "Are you okay? Why'd you stay here so long?"

"I'm fine. I don't remember how I ended up here, though. . . I'm sorry to cause so much worry."

"It's fine, just think next time," He paused, looking around,"Where's Mog?"

Serah blinked again before looking around as well,"I'm. . . Not sure. He was with me?"

Noel turned back to her, eyebrows furrowed,"You don't remember? Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I-"

"What's on your chest, Serah?"

Lightning stepped closer now, her eyes narrowed at the foreign object embedded in her chest as she cut her younger sister off.

Snow, upon hearing this, got closer, as well, not noticing it until Lightning had said something. Neither had Noel.

Serah, perplexed by the information, looked down, not noticing it, either. She widened her eyes, beginning to panic. "W-What? Get it out!"

Lightning pushed Noel aside, grabbing Serah by the shoulders to keep her from moving,"Stop moving. Let me look at it."

Serah had stilled, still panicking on the inside.

Lightning inspected it, leaning down, getting at eye level with it. The object shone in the light, but it had black and red looking particles inside of it. It was clear, so Lightning reached her hand down and touched it lightly, feeling the clear object. It was warm, and not the good feeling kind of warm. It left an ominous feeling on the pads of her fingers and she quickly yanked her hand away.

Lightning took one last look at the crystal, blinking. Was that. . .?

"Is that your crystal tear?" Lightning stood up straight now, looking at Serah with furrowed eyebrows.

Snow furrowed his, as well, instantly feeling around in his pockets, knowing it'd be there. But it wasn't.

The blond widened his eyes, moving next to Lightning and looking at the crystal. The colors had been changed, but upon further inspection, he could tell it was her tear.

"Where'd you get this, Serah? And how'd it get in your chest like that?" Snow asked lightly, still dumbfounded, his gaze never leaving the object.

"I-I don't know! I woke up on the beach, alone. I don't remember much before that. . ." She closed her eyes, trying to bring back any memories of after she collected fruit with Mog. She came up blank.

Noel was definitely confused and worried for Serah. What had happened to the pinkette? Etro, he should've been there!

"Awake finally, I see."

The four turned towards the voice, Noel clenching his fists when he spotted Caius. Yeul padded lightly beside him, not interested in anything but the seashell in her small hand. Noel saw her glance up quickly before returning to her obviously amusing object.

The hunter stepped forward, his face in a frown,"I should've known you had something to do with this. Take that thing out of Serah, right now, Caius."

Snow had put his guard up along with Lightning, glancing over at Noel,"This is Caius?"

"Unfortunately."

Caius smirked,"You must be Noel. I see you've found my other Seeress."

Noel widened his eyes, quickly peering at Serah, before looking back at the Guardian. " You don't. . .," Noel shook his head, forgetting Caius wouldn't know who he was yet,"Seeress? Serah's not a Seeress."

"You'd be surprised, young hunter. But, no matter, she's under my care now."

"Your care? Screw that! Take that thing out right now!"

Serah nervously looked at Caius as she stepped back more towards Noel. She was scared and confused, not knowing what to do. She was also worried for Mog. Where could that little guy be?

Caius narrowed his eyes at Serah's movement, stopping his own means of moving. "Serah, what are you doing? Come over here."

Serah widened her eyes as Noel stepped in front of her,"She doesn't have to listen to you."

"Come here, _now." _Caius reached his hand up towards his chest, placing it over his heart. The part of his suit glowed red under his touch.

Serah felt a searing pain where the crystal was imbedded in her chest and she clutched it quickly, hoping the pain would subside. But it only grew worse. The ponytail pinkette cried out, falling to her knees. She heard voices around her but the only thing she could hear was Caius' demand.

"Come here, _now_." It echoed throughout her head and soon, all she saw was black.

* * *

Snow and Noel were beside Serah in an instant as her petite frame collapsed into the sand beneath her. Lightning had stepped up now, drawing her gunblade out. She was getting sick of this whole charade. Caius only smirked in triumph as he watched the events unfold before him, knowing he had won.

"Get the crystal out of my sister. It's hurting her and if it doesn't stop, I'll hurt _you_."

The immortal chuckled,"He had told me you might intervene. Lightning, I presume? You needn't worry. Your sister will be under great care."

""To Hell with that! _Get it out now_!" She took a threatening step forward with her blade at the ready while Caius pushed Yeul behind him protectively.

"Serah, come here."

Snow and Noel both widened their eyes as Serah, who had been unconscious, got up slowly. She lifted her head and walked steadily over to the Guardian, stopping and turning towards the other three. Her eyes were void of any emotion she had just had.

"Serah?" Snow stepped forward, his eyes bugging out of his head.

"Serah, show them who you must stay with. Tell them, even." Caius looked down at the girl.

"I must stay with Caius. He'll protect me, as I, him." The doll-like girl took a step closer to Caius, her eyes boring into Snow's, then Lightning's, then Noel's.

What had he done to her?

* * *

**A/N:**** OMG I AM SO SORRY FOR THIS LATE UPDATE, DON'T DESTROY ME. I've been so busy, I've had summer reading, and my birthday is coming up so I'm stressed. -.- I tried to make it long as I could but it wouldn't write, blah. **

**But anyway, I hope you all are having a nice summer and I'll see you again soon, hopefully! **


	6. Controlling The Bow

_"You can't be serious," Snow laughed lightly, keeping his eyes on the younger Farron in front of him._

_"I'm dead serious! Lightning _always _used to never let me go anywhere by myself. I mean, I understood why, but it was a little suffocating, you know?" The ponytailed pinkette sighed before flashing a small smile at the older blond._

_Snow laughed again, shaking his head._

_It was their first date and Serah couldn't of been having anymore fun. Snow was such a gentlemen and he even paid for everything, though Serah tried to refuse him. They had spent the day on the beach, swimming, eating, and just enjoying the others' company. In her opinion, it had been the best first date she ever had._

_Snow peeked over at Serah, watching her stare off into the glittering waves ahead of them. He had liked her for a while now and had been dying to ask her out. But everytime he ever built up the courage to do it, her older sister would always somehow pop out of nowhere. He could tell she didn't like him. Plus, she kinda intimidated him. The older Farron always rediculed his little militia group, NORA, telling him how childish and insufficient it was compared to the Guardian Corps. In a way, he thought she was telling him how insufficient he was for Serah. _

_"Where's your sister now?"_

_Serah, upon hearing his voice, looked over at the blond, blinking,"I think she's working. I mean, I think she said she was, anyway. Why?"_

_"No reason. I just thought she'd try to talk you out of this, to be honest. I don't think she likes me that much," Snow chuckled, tilting his head towards the sand below him._

_Raising her slim legs up towards her stomach, Serah rested her head on the top of her knees, keeping her azure eyes on Mr. Villiers. "Mmm, I wouldn't say so much as 'not like'. Lightning has always been wary of people she doesn't really know. It's been that way since my parents passed. She'll warm up to you eventually."_

_Snow smirked, tilting his head towards her now,"So, you want to continue to see me then?"_

_Serah's face immediately turned to that of a tomato. _

_Widening her eyes, she coughed, shuffling her bare feet in the sand, becoming suddenly interested in the sand beside her hip. "U-Uh, well, ahem. . . I mean, I like you," She quickly flicked her eyes to his before looking back down to the microscopic grains below her,"Unless you don't. . ."_

_"Of course I do. I asked you out, didn't I?" Wearing his signature grin, he moved closer to her petite form._

_Serah smiled sheepishly, nodding her head as she sat up from her knees, locking gazes with him. _

_"C'mon, I smell Lebreau's cookin'. Let's go eat," He stood up, immediately extending his hand to help her up._

_Smiling still, she clasped her hand into Snow's much larger one, nodding her head. "Okay."_

* * *

Sleepy blue orbs opened slowly before they were snapped shut again thanks to the glaring light that greeted the young woman. Groaning, she sat up slowly, using her hands to steady her shaky form as she slowly opened her eyes again, this time, expecting the impending light. She licked her lips, bringing her glove clad hand up and wiping the sleep away from her eyes. How she wound up here, she wasn't sure, but she did know her body screamed at her to lie back down.

"Good morning, Serah."

Fully alert now, Serah whipped her head towards the deep voice that emitted from behind her, her eyes wide and round.

"C-Caius?"

There he was, standing before her, perfectly calm. _What was going on?_

"Well, of course. Who else would you be expecting?"

_Certainly not you_, she wanted to say, but held her tongue. Who knew what kind of situation she was in.

Trying to rack her brain for how she ended up here, she just stared at the immortal, perplexed. The only thing she could remember was when he inserted the crystal into-

Snapping her head down, she reached her hand up to her chest, and sure enough, there it was, embedded right there, radiating something she couldn't place. "Am I dreaming. . .?"

Caius raised a brow, stepping closer towards the girl,"You don't remember," He paused, contemplating,"Well, it's to be assumed since it's a new power. Your body has not yet adapted to its foreign attraction."

"Powers? Adapt? Caius, what is going on? What have you done to me? Where's Noel?" Serah was beyond confused and she was slowly starting to become irritated.

He didn't utter a single word for the next couple of minutes, though they seemed like hours to the young girl. She was growing uneasy at the way he was looking at her, like he was trying to see into her very soul.

Clearing his throat, he continued,"That crystal is infused with the power of Chaos that came from my being. It gives me the power to control your body and soul."

Serah just stared at him, unable to believe the words that escaped from his mouth. Control her? That was absurd. But she certainly didn't remember anything and he seemed to know more than he was letting on.

She wanted to get up. To get up, slap him around for thinking he could use her, find Noel, talk to Snow, find and mend things with her Lightning, save the future and fix the past, and just go home and sleep with her cat, Snow. Etro, she was tired, and she hadn't even found Lightning yet in her travels. But here she was, tied and bound, yet again, by Caius. This whole ordeal was becoming ridiculous to her.

"Why? Why are you doing this? Why me?" Her voice came out light and feeble sounding.

With a stoic face, the immortal being knelt down beside her, watching her intently before responding,"Because you are the perfect bait. You have many that care about you and would do anything to ensure your safety. It is also my duty to protect any and all Seeress'. It was just coincidence that you turned out to be a prophet of Etro. It worked out perfectly, too perfect."

Serah kept her eyes on anything but him as he explained, noticing she was in some metal room. Now that she thought about it, she heard the roaring of engines and spotted a window to her left. She could make out the blue sky, just barely. Were they in an airship?

She started to formulate a plan.

"But why now? What could you possibly gain from this?"

"Working in the past will help create a new future. He has come to me and explained everything. I do this for Yeul, and Yeul only."

Blinking, Serah flicked her eyes over to Caius,"He?"

Caius hardened his gaze, knowing he gave too much away. He stood up abruptly, turning from her. "I shall return shortly with food. When I return, we can relive old memories, hm?"

Not waiting for an answer from the pinkette, he left the room, the electronic door closing behind him.

Serah had a feeling these memories involved a certain group of L'Cie and a hunter.

* * *

**A/N:**** Jeez Marie, I am so sorry for this late update. I won't give excuses other then life itself. It can be a busy and trifling thing.**

******The italics in the beginning are a flashback between Serah and Snow, if you couldn't tell. She was dreaming. :3**

**Also, sorry for the short chapter, I just wanted to update and let you guys know I'm still alive, so this is what occurred. I guess it hit a certain plot point, it being the crystal in Serah's chest. It will play a key role for her from now on, definitely. **

**But thank you for the encouraging reviews and I will definitely answer them soon! In the meantime, here's this to hold you over until I return with another(WHICH WILL BE SOON, I PROMISE!)!**

**I hope you all have a lovely day.~**


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